Under the Desk Treadmill

ABSTRACT

The Under the Desk Treadmill allows an office worker to engage in slow walking sessions while working without compromising the quality and quantity of job performance. It consists of a foldable, automated, walking treadmill, which is easily installed and stored under almost any existing office desk, requires no additional space, and does not diminish the under the desk space required for the desk worker&#39;s legs. The conversion from treadmill into the storage position and back to the walking position is automated. The office worker can perform the full range of office duties while walking due to the “Stop” element claimed by the basis, Office Treadmill patent. Additionally, the Under the Desk Treadmill can be used as a standalone unit, providing a low-speed walking unit for old, sick, recovering, or disabled persons.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims to be an improvement of granted Utility Pat. No. 10,589,147, Issue Date Mar. 17, 2020, by the same inventor, referring below as the prior patent or OFFICE TREADMILL.

Note:

For the purpose of this article, “basic” patent or basic model are referring to the prior patent, i.e., OFFICE TREADMILL.

Patent Search History

This application is a technological development of ideas presented by the prior patent OFFICE TREADMILL, and, therefore, does not require any special patent search. Since the same inventor named in the basic patent is filing this application on the improvement within one year after issuance of the basic patent, the basic patent should not be considered as prior art citable against this improvement application.

BACKGROUND—ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

The major improvement of the Under the Desk Patent against the basic patent is that the improvement patent presents an automated model compared to the manual basic model. Another smaller addition to the Office Treadmill model are the rotatable segments mentioned in the basic claim 1, which do not require to be coupled together by a locking mechanism. Unlike the Office Treadmill, Under the Desk Treadmill does not require any manual labor to employ the unit, except the initial installation and adjustments due to the various complexions of potential users and different sizes of leg openings of office desks. As a continuation of the Office Treadmill ideology, Under the Desk Treadmill is designed to provide comfort and well being for sedentary workers without compromising the quality and quantity of their office work. Office workers can achieve a noncompromising working condition by using Under the Desk Treadmill the same way as if he or she uses the Office Treadmill, i.e., by combining the low speed treadmill and the Stop feature presented by the Office Treadmill patent.

Under the Desk Treadmill also continues the ideologies of foldability and combining the treadmill with office furniture, as presented by the Office Treadmill patent. As it is depicted in presented embodiment, Under the Desk Treadmill could be stored under almost any kind of existing office desk. The typical office desk has a standard minimal opening for worker's legs of not less than 23″ high, 19″ deep, and 25″ wide. This allows hidden storage space of at least 40″ long and 16″ wide folded model under an existing desk without taking away vital leg space from the desk worker. 40″ long is one of the smallest standard treadmill belt lengths and 16″ wide is one of the standard treadmill belt widths. According to modern exercise practice, 40″ long and 16″ wide treadmill model is quite suitable for slow speed walking, as proposed by Under the Desk Treadmill.

Under the Desk Treadmill is designed as an addition to almost any kind of existing office desk/furniture; however, unlike the Office Treadmill model, Under the Desk model does not provide the office worker with any additional seating. Instead, it allows the desk worker to keep his or her existing office chair and requires moving the existing chair aside during use of the Under the Desk Treadmill. After the initial assembly and installation, Under the Desk Treadmill can become part of an existing desk (as proposed by this invention), can be mounted on existing office shelving/cabinets (removal of several shelves may be required during the initial installation), can be used as a standalone unit, or can be connected to other existing office furniture. As a standalone unit, Under the Desk Treadmill can also be used by persons with restricted mobility in order to provide them with moderate movement.

Due to the foldable design, Under the Desk Treadmill can be mounted under almost any standard office desk or under the raised office desk. In the last case, no Over-the-Desk Platform (presented in the basic model) is needed, and the Stop feature may require slightly different design than specified in the basic patent. The Over-the-Desk Platform and Stop feature proposed in the Office Treadmill patent remains to keep the same functionality as in the basic patent and therefore are not discussed in this application. The use of those features are also the same; by leaning on the Stop by the approximate waist area, maintaining a slow walking pace, and using initially adjusted height of the Over-the-Desk Platform, the presented model enables the office worker to walk automatically and seamlessly for optimal concentration on his or her job.

SUMMARY

The Under the Desk Treadmill is equipment that allows an office worker to benefit from “working-while-walking” activity without compromising the quality and speed of his or her office duties. In addition, Under the Desk Treadmill uses the existing abundance of under the desk leg space for permanent storage of the treadmill. At the push of a button, the treadmill extends from its folded storage position under the desk and assumes the walking position in front of the desk. Likewise, at the push of a button, the treadmill moves back to its compact storage position under the existing desk. Each process should not take more than a minute.

DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows

1—Desk and

2—Under the Desk Treadmill in unfolded, pulled from under the desk, in Ready to Exercise position (The walking belt and electrical wirings are omitted in all drawings for simplicity.).

FIG. 2

Main parts of the Under the Desk Treadmill are shown on FIG. 2:

3—Outer Walking Platform, as attached to the

4—Inner Walking Platform;

5—Two Gear Racks;

6—Cover, which covers the motors and electrical parts of the treadmill;

7—Two Connectors on both sides of the treadmill. Connectors connect the Outer Walking Platform (3) with the Inner Walking Platform (4); and

8—Slide Link, which provides possible extensions to both Side Shafts (11, see FIG. 4.).

FIG. 3 shows the Under the Desk Treadmill in the unfolded position without the Cover (6.) Proposed design allows two motors.

9—Moving Motor is moving walking belt of the treadmill (actuate the treadmill), the same way as any other treadmill motor. Further detailing for this obvious functionality is omitted.

10—Geared Lifting Motor provides the rotational torque to the gear (5.1) (See FIG. 4 for more details.)

FIG. 4 shows the general kinematics which provides the folding feature of the Under the Desk Treadmill. The Geared Lifting Motor (10) is connected to the frame of the Inner Walking Platform (4.) (omitted on FIG. 4 for simplicity). The Geared Lifting Motor (10) provides rotation to the

5.1—Gear at the Gear Rack (5) through the

11—Side Shafts; Each Side Shaft can be extended by

8—Slide Link(s);

12—Stopping Frame.

FIG. 5 shows the simplest design of the Slide Link (8.) The Slide Link provides extension to Side Shafts (11.) Both, the Side Shafts (11) and the Slide Link (8) have the same axis of rotation. The Side Shafts (11) can slide inside the Slide Link (8.)

8.1—Fixing Bolt.

FIG. 6 shows the Connection (7) between the Outer Walking Platforms (3, See FIG. 2), and the Inner Walking Platform (4, See FIG. 2), consisting of

7.1—Connecting Part of the Outer Walking Platform (3);

7.3—Connecting Part of the Inner Walking Platform (4);

7.2—Connecting Pivot between (7.1) and (7.3).

FIGS. 7, 8, 9, and 10 show the transitional stages between the Storage (Folding) Position and Walking (Working) Position of the Under the Desk Treadmill.

Positions on drawings:

FIG. 7—Walking or Working Position (same as on FIG. 1);

FIG. 8—Treadmill is pulled inside the desk (1);

FIG. 9—Treadmill begins folding under the desk;

FIG. 10—Treadmill is in the Folding Position under the desk.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION AND BEST MODE OF IMPLEMENTATION

Due to the various widths of leg room openings required by different desk designs, both of the Side Shafts (11) may require extension as provided by the Slide Link (8) (See FIG. 5 for details.). The proposed design provides two Sliding Links (8) on both sides of the Under the Desk Treadmill.

Under the Desk Treadmill has two main positions. Storage or Folding Position is shown on FIG. 10, and Treadmill or Working Position is shown on FIG. 1 and on FIG. 7.

The Moving Motor (9, see FIG. 3) is a typical treadmill motor which moves the walking belt and, therefore, is not detailed. The main mechanical difference between a regular treadmill and the Under the Desk Treadmill is that the Under the Desk Treadmill must be pulled inside (the desk) and then both, Outside and Inside Walking Platforms (3 & 4 at FIG. 2) must be lifted into the Folding Position FIG. 10. The folding process is shown on the FIGS. 7, 8, 9, and 10. The unfolding process is reverse to folding, shown on FIGS. 10, 9, 8, and 7. The folding and unfolding process requires additional mechanism. The presented model uses the Geared Lifting Motor (10, see FIGS. 3 and 4) for this folding task, but theoretically, the same work could also be executed by the Moving Motor (9) alone. The presented embodiment assumes inclusion of a second geared motor firmly attached to the frame of the Inner Walking Panel (4, omitted on FIG. 4 for simplicity). Rotational movement is transmitted from the Geared Lifting Motor (10) to the Shafts (11, see FIG. 4) on both sides of the treadmill and to the Gears (5.1.). Both Side Shafts (11) can be extended by Sliding Links (8) in order to fit the actual width of the Desk (1) leg opening space. The transition from Folding to Working position and back is executed by the Lifting Geared Motor (10), which turns the Side Shafts (11) and transmits the rotation to the Gear (5.1.). The Gear (5.1) then begins moving along the Gear Rack (5.). At the end of the Gear Rack (5), the Gear (5.1) has no more tooth and stopped at/by the Stopping Frame (12), but the Side Shaft (11) continues moving, spinning the Inner Walking Panel (4) around the axis of the Side Shaft (11), lifting both Walking Panels (3 & 4) to the Storing Position (FIG. 10). During the transition from the Treadmill to the Storage position, Connecting Parts (7.1) and (7.3) also rotate around the Connecting Pivot (7.2) until Connecting Parts (7.1) and (7.2) meet each other to form the angle of approximately 90 degrees. Walking Panel (4) continues to rotate, lifting both Walking Panels (3 & 4) to their final destination in the Storage Position (FIG. 10). The reverse process is also shown in FIG. 10 and back to FIG. 7.

CONCLUSION

The biggest advantages presented by the Under the Desk model are as follows:

The office worker can keep his or her existing office desk and chair. Any kind of desk could work with the Under the Desk Treadmill model; a stationary or an adjustable-height design desk will work.

No additional storage space is required, since the Under the Desk Treadmill model utilizes the existing, unused under the desk space for self storage.

The main idea of this patent is to add automation and “under the desk storage capability” to the “walk-while-working” ideology presented by the basic model. The easiest and simplest design is presented while the actual design of each part of the Under the Desk Treadmill may bear great disparities from illustrations presented.

OPERATION

The proposed design requires two main positions of the Under the Desk Treadmill:

The Storage or Folded position, and The

Working, or Walking position.

Both positions are self-evident in the above text. The Under the Desk Treadmill connection to existing furniture and its electric equipment are not specified for the presented embodiments since they can be designed in many ways and/or independently from the Under the Desk Treadmill. For example, electric control could have a form of a button mounted under the desk, or can be a part of a remote control, together or separate from the on/off function, speed, and positional treadmill controls. 

1. A convertible treadmill comprising a foldable walking platform having multiple segments; a motor coupled to the walking platform in order to actuate the platform; a second motor to actuate the mechanism of folding the segments of the walking platform into the Folding Position. The convertible treadmill of claim 1 wherein the walking platform can be folded into any other office equipment or furniture.
 2. The convertible treadmill of claim 1 designed as a standalone unit.
 3. The convertible treadmill of claim 1 having single motor performing both, actuation and folding the segments of the walking platform into the Folding Position. 